[Physical activity adapted to the obese patients' needs: which assessments for what kind of prescription?]

Physical activity is a key element for the obese patient willing to lose weight. The main aim of physical activity is to contribute to produce, and maintain, a negative energy balance. A recent approach suggests to focus on the intensity eliciting the maximal lipid oxidation rate. Physical activity prescription should however be adapted to the patient's physiological and metabolic profile. Determining the physical fitness of the patient during an incremental test and assessing body composition may be central elements determining physical activity prescription. Provided the activities are adapted to the patient's profile, numerous physical activities may be performed by the obese patient. A practical, clinical approach, based upon the metabolic profiling of the patient is proposed in this article.